A secret online society created an IRL browsing experience for the internet-obsessed

A secret online society created an IRL browsing experience for the internet-obsessed

WATCH | At the
Internet Yami-Ichi in New York City, the past, present, and future of the internet converged in a real-life black market of over 100 vendors. The weird and wonderful aspects of the online world, usually existing solely on our screens, took shape in a former door factory in Queens.

The black markets's beginnings

While the internet serves as a hub of social interactions and offers an unparalleled browsing experience, it's often lacking in the face-to-face connections of reality. In pursuit of this missing element, the Internet Yami-Ichi, or the Internet Black Market, asks us to temporarily leave behind our obsession with phones and computers to instead browse the net in person.

The market, organized by a secret online society called
IDPW, got its start in Tokyo in 2012.

A secret online society

On IPDW's vague website, they claim to be "a secret society on the internet that goes back more than 100 years."

According to their site, there are around ten members in the collective. One vendor at the market told me that she's been trying to infiltrate the group for a while. "That's partly why I'm involved in the Internet Yami-Ichi," she said.

The collective once organized an
internet sleepover and developed a
button that lets you "like" everything on a page at once.

An exchange of "internet-ish" goods

"Flea markets and the Internet are both fanatical and chaotic mixes of the amazing and the useless," the event's website explains, in a perfect description of the type of goods available at the market.

While ownership on the internet is a complex topic, it was much simpler at the Internet Yami-Ichi, where you could actually purchase a GIF or a meme. While some products celebrated the internet's early freedoms, others looked towards future advances in technology.

Something for everyone

With more than 100 vendors, the Internet Yami-Ichi offered a seemingly endless variety of products and experiences.

Soon after walking in, I was handed a flier that proclaimed, "WEATHER IS HAPPENING." Nearby, a table advertised manicures for your charging cables. One woman sold headpieces that she told me could "turn you into a meme." Another woman offered tarot readings with a special subreddit-themed deck. And there was the chance to participate in a physical time capsule or an online, password-protected one.

Emerging tech to let others see your dreams

"Technology that enables others to see your dreams does not yet exist! Let's do it anyway!" read the sign at one booth. Clipboards with paper and pens were scattered around the table. A second sign invited guests to participate in a dream exchange.

Wearing your dream on your face

At the table, I met RoByn Thompson, a mixed media artist who initially got her start with face painting. She presented me with a choice to either write down my own dream or illustrate another's dream. "Or if you want, I can paint your dream on your face," she added.

I immediately opted for the face painting, and before I knew it, my face was transformed into a swamp scene with a menacing snowman on my left cheek. My extremely strange nightmare was now on display for the entire market to see.

A computer that lets you project a website on a Tokyo street

At another table, you could project your favorite website onto a wall in Tokyo in real-time, an opportunity to advertise your own brand or simply broadcast memes to unsuspecting passersby across the world.

An intimidating confession booth

As I was watching the Tokyo street projection, someone ushered me into a dark room before I fully processed what was happening. Neon lights swirled around the walls, and a tablet cast a soft glow on the table in front of me.

"Confess your password!" a face on the tablet screamed at me. Completely thrown off, I stood there in silence. He yelled at me again. Feeling thoroughly intimidated, I whispered a fake password, relieved that I didn't succumb to the pressure of actually revealing a real one.

The tragic loss of ESC will be grieved by gamers all around the world.

Linn Livijn Wexell and Rafael Ochoa

Mourning the escape key

In a controversial move by Apple, the
next MacBook will no longer have an physical escape key, instead utilizing the space for a touch bar. At the Internet Yami-Ichi, artists Linn Livijn Wexell and Rafael Ochoa invited attendees to join together in a touching moment of silence to honor the key's tragic and unfortunate demise.

A shrine to the escape key

Wexell and Ochoa also set up a shrine to the escape key, a display that included a Bible and candles that remained lit for the duration of the market. We can only hope that the framed escape key one day ends up in a museum where it belongs.

"The least advanced phone, ever"

In the spirit of removing seemingly crucial features from technology, Chris Sheldon created the
NoPhone.

As the name implies, the NoPhone lacks a screen, a battery, or any other feature that you might find in a phone. "It's toilet bowl resistant, and you'll never have to charge it," explained Sheldon of the selling points for the $9.99 device.

And for $14.99, a model called the NoPhone SELFIE includes a small mirror for "real-time" selfies.

The #InstagramCafe, by Jason Eppink and Larissa Haiden

Ever wanted a selfie with a cronut or an
elaborate milkshake without the lines or the calories? At the #InstagramCafe, you could do just that with their thorough selection of preserved trendy foods. "Do not eat the content," a sign warned.

It was a nice reminder that pictures on Instagram don't always tell the full story.

Internet-themed food and drink

For attendees hungry for something more substantial than Instagram likes, there was a variety of internet-themed food being sold at the market. Emoji rice balls were one especially adorable option.

A cocktail bar offered up inspired selections like "<br>," a "Netscape Margarita," and "Forex on the Beach." The latter's price changed in real time using randomized software.

And after getting a drink, you could join the GIF dance party taking place in the back room.

1 of

The NoPhone, an entirely featureless phone

Emoji balls for sale by Kanae Clar

Takashi Horisaki's #InstaBonsai table

Outside of the Knockdown Center in Queens, New York

A floppy disk photobooth by Pat Shiu

Eli Yeung's online and offline time capsules

The Internet Yami-Ichi at the Knockdown Center

The cocktail bar with internet-themed drinks

Custom GIFs for sale

Charging cable manicures by Faith Holland

Tables at the Internet Yami-Ichi

Headbands by WXYZ Jewelry

The Internet Yami-Ichi at the Knockdown Center

Since its beginning in Tokyo, the Internet Yami-Ichi has been held in cities across the world, including Barcelona, Moscow, London, and New Orleans. This was the event's second occurrence in New York.